Company X is a small family run roofing company. They repair, install and insulate roofs. They use a lot of time and money advertising in the press and exhibiting at consumer shows and events to attract new customers. They are visibly committed to their customers and their needs. They do it well and reap the rewards. They are subsequently offline.
A potential customer sees them on a show that they exhibit at. She has a short but informative interview on her roof with a company representative and takes away some literature to read. She leaves with a very positive impression of the company and its employees. When she read the literature, she notes that the company has a website and visits it. Their
site looks professional. She looks deeper into the site by clicking a few links.
It only takes a few clicks for her to realize that the website is very thin on content. There is little text and the text that is present is incredibly boring and meaningless. The site looks exactly like the brochure she went away. Actually that’s exactly what the site is - the brochure online.
The site has a few basic features: You can contact the company, request a quote visit or get their phone number. There is much else of interest to potential customers. So she would stay and buy from the company? Probably not. At this point she either has to contact the company by telephone to get more information or go somewhere else. She has been abandoned by a company that has clearly made little account of her visit. At best it’s a tedious visit. She does not think very highly of it now.
What went wrong? Why has the company that made such a positive impression offline, such a bad impression online?
The company has put much work instead? No. Is the website ill thought? Yes. Is there anything on the site to keep the customer there / interested? No. Does site meet customer needs? No. Does the client have a generally positive impression of the company? No. Did they lose business enterprise? Very likely, yes.
What can it do to turn their website around and present a positive impression?
* Spend some time examining their customers' needs and re-focus their site around them. * Visibly use their offline customer engagement online.
It’s important that their customers perceive some value in visiting their site. Otherwise why would they stay around long enough to even read about their products or even buy them?
What if they arrived at the website again? This time the text on the website sounds more interesting and descriptive. The website does not look identical to the booklet anymore. There are some real case study examples of how past clients have benefited and saved money by using the companies products. How they turned a cold roof space into a bright and warm usable space, or how they saved a fortune on their heating bill, after some roof work was done by the company, etc.
There is also a new quote tool that lets you put in your dimensions and get an immediate offer for the work. There is also a button to get an expert to call you a tool to see what a project work would look when finished, a reminder tool that tells you when you are due for a roof inspection, ideas for improving your roof space, etc. The list does not necessarily stop here. You can add as many features, tools and resources which the client wants. Start with customer importance. At the new site it also indicate their commitment to the customer - they make guarantees to respond quickly to any question or comment, and assist the customer in any way they can at all times.
Customers are seeing is very different now. She will be pleased with her visit and service and have a positive experience of the company. She will feel the company is very attentive to her needs. Ultimately, she will buy more from the company.
Companies end result is different now too. They want more happy and loyal customers, and ultimately therefore more recommendations and sales.
Are you making the same mistakes on your website? What can you do to improve your customers website experience?
Useful tips:
- Respond to your users.
- Adopt a creative approach.
- Create some interest about your products.
- Make your customer engagement visible.
Good luck!
